Peach Picking

   A  few of my boys have been asking to go peach picking this summer,so we headed out to the east end of Long Island.It was 95 degrees ,but we set out to find our fruit. Fortunately for us,the trees were loaded with fruit,and we were able to pick a large amount.

   We even found some as big as my hand!After picking,climbing and running around,we walked across the street to the berry patches,and found beautiful blackberries,and sweet blueberries.

   We then moved on to the fruit and vegetable stand,where we had some delicious roasted corn,from their vast corn fields,bought some corn to take home, as well as popcorn and snow cones.

  On our drive home,we passed loads of corn fields....
 It was a fun,extremely hot trip,but well worth it.Now,I will be busy making crisps,cakes,pies and other sweet treats to share with you throughout the week!

  Enjoy your day!

Part 2: Farmer's Market Tour

   After visiting the local farmer's market today,I wanted to share a few more vendors that I love.I have included the websites of those that offer their products via mail order.

   Here is the cupcake stand,a hard one to pass by.They are made by The Cupcake Corner.They offer a variety of large and mini cupcakes,all pre-packaged.The flavors include standards like vanilla,chocolate and red velvet,along with fun flavors such as cotton candy and chocolate peanut butter.

    Another great stand is the local sea food man.Each week you will find a variety of seafood from the waters off of the east end of Long Island,along with salmon and tuna.There are always clams,shrimp,mussels and scallops available.

    The crumb cake stand is a favorite.My sister brought  a bright red tin,called "A Bucket of Crumbs," to my house for Christmas one year,and it was filled with their highly addictive crumb cookies.I tried one,and thought they were good,and then I tried another,and another.....They are the perfect treat for the person that loves the crumbs on top of a crumb cake.The go very well with a cup of coffee or in my case,a cold glass of milk.They also offer crumb cakes and pastries. They are made by Hahn's Old Fashioned Cake Company .
http://www.crumbcake.net/ .
    If you live on Long Island,I hope you take the time to visit the local farmer's markets..it is truly a place for one stop shopping! Enjoy your weekend! http://www.longislandgrowersmarket.com/ .

Cookie Mousse Cups

   Here is a sweet little treat sure to please your taste buds!The crust is a sugar cookie dough molded into mini tart molds,and the filling is a lucious white chocolate mousse,without the eggs!You may also use your own favorite shortbread or sugar cookie recipe for the crust.

Filling Ingredients:
1 14oz. can sweetened condensed milk
6 oz. white chocolate(use a good one)!
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 c. heavy cream
   In a small saucepan,heat the chocolate and sweetened condensed milk until all of the chocolate is melted. Stir well,and set aside to cool.While the mixture is cooling, in the chilled bowl of your mixer,whip the cream until stiff peaks form.Once the chocolate mixture is cooled,gently fold it into the whipped cream.Set aside until ready to assemble.

Cookie Crust:(My favorite Paula Deen cookie Recipe)

2 sticks of unsalted butter,softened
3 oz. cream cheese,softened
2 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. sugar
2-1/2 c. flour
    In the bowl of your mixer,blend together the butter and cream cheese.Add the sugar and vanilla.Add the yolks.Add the flour,and blend only until combined.Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before proceeding.

   Using about 1 Tbsp. of cookie dough,press into your tart pans.Bake at 350 degrees for about 7-9 minutes...the dough should be golden brown around the edges.Let cool.

    Fill each cookie cup with some of the mousse mixture....I used a decorative star tip to pipe mine.Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.Garnish with fresh berries,mint,coconut,or chocolate if desired.

***The cookie tart shells can be made ahead of time and kept in an airtight container for a few days...better yet,they can be wrapped well and frozen for at leat 6 months.Defrost before filling.

***Another great idea would be to place a small amount of lemon or lime curd under the mousse.

Corn Salad

   In my area,we are very fortunate at the moment to have fresh corn available to us.I know that a large part of the country is experiencing a drought ,and it is my hope that they will be rained upon heavily,and soon.If you are fortunate enough to have fresh corn available to you this summer,here is a great recipe from Ina Garten,that is as simple as it is delicious.

Ingredients:
5 ears of fresh corn,peeled,silks removed
1/2 c. red onion,chopped
3 Tbsp. cider vinegar
3 Tbsp. good olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. fresh basil leaves,chopped
   

     Bring a large pot of water to a boil.Boil the corn for about three minutes,then remove from the pot and cool.Once cooled,cut the kernels off of the cob and place in a large bowl.
   Add the rest of the ingredients,and toss well.Serve at room temperature(which I like best),or cold..it's delicious either way.Enjoy!

   

Blackberry Lemonade

 This morning,I went to my local farmer's market and found what I have been waiting for all summer.....blackberries.One of my favorite summertime drinks is blackberry lemonade,so I went home and made some....here is the recipe.Stringing blackberries on a straw makes a nice presentation for guests!

Ingredients:
1 c. fresh blackberries
4 c. water
1 c. sugar
1 c. FRESH lemon juice(5-6 lemons,skins peeled and saved)
ice

   Place 2 c. of water and 1 c. of sugar in a small saucepan.Heat over low heat until the sugar is dissolved...this is a simple syrup. Remove from heat and place the reserved lemon peels in the mixture.Set aside.The mixture will take on a bright yellow hue while cooling.Yes,I know what it looks like...no jokes!

    In a blender,blend the blackberries and 1 c. of water.Strain into a pitcher using a fine sieve(to remove all of the seeds and pulp),and add an additional cup of water.Pour the lemon peel/simple syrup mixture into the pitcher,again using a strainer.Finally,add the cup of lemon juice and ice.

   Stir the mixture well,and serve with mint sprigs and blackberries if desired.Enjoy!

 ***You may use raspberries or strawberries instead of blackberries in this recipe if desired.

***Always use the juice from fresh lemons.never the stuff in the little bottle or plastic lemon.

Cake Boss Cakes

   Buddy Valastro,aka The Cake Boss, has now made his cakes available at BJs Wholesale Clubs! Of course,I had to get one right away and do a little "taste test." My son was eager to see what was available,so off to the store we went.

    When we arrived at BJs,the display was near empty,so I guess it is fair to say that his opening day was a hit.Two cakes were available..the first was a chocolate caramel cake,which I would have bought,but since the kids wanted to try it,I went for the bright green cake with decorative flowers....what can you do? The cakes are priced at $19.99,which although not cheap,is less than I had expected.

   The cake we purchased is called the "Bada Bloom" cake. It had one layer of vanilla cake,one layer of chocolate cake with a thin layer of chocolate fudge in between.The icing was a buttercream,not a fondant.The packaging was also nice,and included a description of the cake it contained,which is a nice touch.

    After our tasting,I will say this, the cake was very fresh,which is always a plus.The cake also sliced like no other cake I have ever had..perfect slices,leaving virtually no crumbs behind.It looked neat,and I love that. As far as taste goes,I would have to say that the cake was  good....the layers appear to me to be a mix between a layer cake and a pound cake.I know they call it a sponge,but it isn't as light as a sponge.It looks very dense,but it isn't really heavy.The icing is pretty sweet,but not overly sweet.

   All in all,I would say it is a nice treat for a special occasion.After one slice,I was full,and I can really eat cake.This cake is definitely a cut above the typical cakes you will find at your local grocery store.I'd say that Buddy will do well with his newest venture.On my next visit,I will try the chocolate caramel cake,and of course,I will let you know how it tastes!

Vegetable Tian

  This is one of my favorite recipes from Ina Garten.It makes a great side dish for many different meals.Today,we made it with all fresh veggies(except the onions), from my son Timmy's garden,right down to the fresh thyme.It was delicious,and so easy to make.This is not the exact recipe from her book,but it is a close adaptation.

1-2 large zucchini,sliced
3-4 large potatoes,sliced
1-2 large tomatoes,sliced
2 garlic cloves,minced
2 large onions,sliced
2 oz. gruyere cheese,grated
salt,pepper
olive oil
3 sprigs of fresh thyme

   In a saute pan,saute the onions in about 2 tbsp. of olive oil for 5-7 minutes until tender.Add the garlic,and saute one more minute.Pour the onion mixture into a shallow baking dish.Layer the zucchini,tomato and potato, around the dish,alternating the vegetables.Sprinkle with 1 tsp, of salt,and 1/2 tsp. pepper.Drizzle with a little olive oil and place the fresh thyme on top.Cover with foil,and bake at 375 degrees for about 35 minutes.

   Remove the foil,then remove the sprigs of thyme.Sprinkle the grated cheese on top and bake a few minutes more until the cheese is slightly brown. Enjoy!